Prepare yourself to get a job

Today, many employers use social media as one of the tools to consider and determine the job candidates. Social media is the online persona of each person reflecting their lifestyle, behavior, attitudes, etc. The company looks at those online profiles which help them determine whether each candidate is fit to their organization. Unlike other social media, LinkedIn is the largest professional online community. Many companies and professionals in various fields communicate and participate in this online society. Most companies post job openings on LinkedIn and they also use LinkedIn to find out the people who might be a good fit to their company. This is a big opportunity for the new graduates to impress the employers by the professional profile. The following are the tips you should do to set up and polish your LinkedIn profile in order to increase the opportunity to get the job.

1.Choose an appropriate profile photo
The first thing you should do on the LinkedIn page is uploading profile photo. The profile photo is kind of the first thing that gains people’s attention. If you don’t have the profile photo, the employers might ignore to view your page. The most important thing to remember is choosing an appropriate photo. LinkedIn is not Facebook or Instagram. I don’t think the employers will feel impressed to see your party pictures as the profile photo. So, pick a good quality photo that you look professional!

2.Write a good headline
The headline is a short statement which you introduce yourself to the recruiters. It is the first thing that appears after your name. So, use this space to identify your selling points and area of work you are interested in.Good tips for writing a perfect headline

3.Use a keyword
In the skills and endorsement section, you should include the keywords that relate to the job you’re looking for. The more relevant keywords you have in your profile, the higher you are on a recruiter’s search rankings. This increases the chances of your profile getting noticed. In addition to industry buzzwords, such as creative, responsible and strategic, you should include the specific words of tools or programs for each industry, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Google analytics.

4. Get recommendations
Also, in the endorsement section, you should have someone on your connections, such as the previous employers and the professors, writing at least one recommendation for you in this section. This section helps to endorse your listed skills or experiences and it basically makes your profile more credibility.

5. Complete the summary
Summary section is where you advertise about yourself. Talk about your unique selling points, goals, and personality. You might describe your motivation, passion, experience and what are you good at. Don’t forget to include some keywords that the recruiters might search for.

6. Show your achievement
On the LinkedIn profile, there are many sections that you can present your achievement. So, fill it up! You can include GPA, certifications, honors and award, courses, or projects that demonstrate your skills. In addition, you can include the real examples of your works, such as your writing and design portfolio, on the LinkedIn profile page.

7. Join the groups
You should join the groups that relate to your target industry. You should be active and participate in discussions of the groups. This helps you have the connection and create your professional brand. Not only the job opportunity you can get, but also the knowledge you can gain from other experts.

8. Make your profile page public
In the settings, change your LinkedIn profile page to public and also create a personal URL. For example,www.linkedin.com/in/JohnSmith. When people search for you online, this will help your page have a higher rank in a Google search.

I think these are some great tips that will help you have some ideas to start setting up your LinkedIn profile page properly and professionally. Thank you for reading!

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suphachaj

2 thoughts on “LinkedIn for New Grads”

Hey Pat, I love lists. Research shows most posts that have lists, especially that are numbered tend to draw readers in. Combine that with your topic, which matches well with the message of the blog and its a home run! Adding the image of the pencil and checklist/boxes was a nice touch that emphasized to the reader that this is EASY to follow. We have so much info we are bombarded with, that it helps to send that message. Great article! James

Hey Pat! Really nice job on your LinkedIn post, it’s so important to get your face and profile out there in the right light for potential employers to have access to your background. Great use of the bold headers to draw the reader in (although I personally am not a fan of numeric listing) and also of the hyperlink to “Does your LinkedIn Headline Suck?”. After checking out the hyperlink, I can see why you put the numeric listing in – it creates continuity within your blog and the link. Very well done!